Subgroup-Key-Style-in-13th-Edition.utf8

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 ## Alternate Subgroup Key Style 
 ### 13th Edition Keys to Soil Taxonomy
 
 #### 2021 NCSS National Standards Committee
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.right[.large[ 
 Andrew Brown 
 <a href="mailto:andrew.g.brown@usda.gov">&nbsp;andrew.g.brown@usda.gov</a>
 
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## Procedure for Soil Taxonomy

This proposal supports the idea of the combination of keys and benefits of the new key style, but proposes formatting that is more congruous with existing Keys.

#### Excerpt Chapter 4 (_Identification of the Taxonomic Class of a Soil_)

> All of the keys in this taxonomy are designed in such a way that the user can determine the correct classification of a soil by going through the keys systematically. _The user must start at the beginning of the “Key to Soil Orders” and eliminate, one by one, all classes that include criteria that do not fit the soil in question._ The soil belongs to the first class listed for which it meets all the required criteria. 
> 
> In classifying a specific soil, the user of soil taxonomy begins by checking through the “Key to Soil Orders” to determine the name of the first order that, according to the criteria listed, includes the soil in question. [...] going through the “Key to Subgroups” of that great group, the user selects as the correct subgroup name the name of the first taxon for which the soil meets all of the required criteria.

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## Syntax of Soil Taxonomy

![Gelisols criteria no markup](data:image/png;base64,#img/A_gelisols_nomarkup.png)

![Gelisols criteria with markup](data:image/png;base64,#img/A_gelisols_markup.png)

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## Syntax of Soil Taxonomy (continued)

![Gelisols criteria with markup](data:image/png;base64,#img/B_histosols_markup.png)

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<img src="data:image/png;base64,#img/JAH_Albaqualfs_current.png" alt="Albaqualfs Example (current)" />

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## Basic objections to "current" format
  
> "eliminate one by one all classes that include criteria that do not fit the soil in question"

- If you read several taxa worth of conditions (meets X below; meets X, Z below; meets Y, Z below...) before the criteria themselves, then you are juggling several classes worth of criteria evaluations. 
    - May violate concept of "eliminat[ing] one by one."

- Keys should be logically structured as if the user reads through from beginning to end.
    - Hopefully actually doing that is now less onerous after the work done by Craig Deitzler to combine logic for these subgroups with identical criteria.

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<img src="data:image/png;base64,#img/JAH_Albaqualfs_alternate.png" alt="Albaqualfs Example (alternate)" />

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# Key Proposal Elements

1. Criteria come before the _conditions_ to evaluate a specific taxon.
 
 2. Clear notation for when and where several criteria are shared between subgroups.
 
For example `JAH[B-D]. Other Albaqualfs that:`

- followed by a numbered list of common _criteria_ used for subgroups `JAHB`, `JAHC`, and `JAHD`
 - followed by the _conditions_ for each subgroup `JAHB`, `JAHC`, and `JAHD`

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## Impacts of New Key Style

- For alternate:
  - Add one line: `ABC[A-Z]. Other [Great Group ABC]s that:`
      - `[A-Z]` shows range of subgroup codes within a sub-key 
  - Move criteria up from after `ABCZ` to _before_ `ABCA` 
  - Change `"Other [Great Group]s that meet items X,Y below:"` to `"Meet items X,Y above."` for each subgroup in the sub-key.
  
- 644 subgroups in 131 subgroup-level keys use "meet items X,Y,Z" style

- 52 subgroup level keys have more than one sub-key

- Top 10 Affected Great Groups (number of separate sub-keys):

- _Haploxerolls_, _Haplustolls_ (n = 5)
 
 - _Paleudults_, _Argixerolls_, _Argiustolls_, _Dystrudepts_ (n = 4)
 
 - _Haplorthods_, _Hapludands_, _Haplustox_, _Haploperox_ (n = 3)

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## Thank you!

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 ![](data:image/png;base64,#http://github.com/brownag.png)
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.right-column[
  #### Andrew Brown

<a href="mailto:andrew.g.brown@usda.gov">&nbsp;andrew.g.brown@usda.gov</a> 
<a href="http://github.com/brownag">&nbsp;brownag</a> 
<a href="http://twitter.com/humus_rocks">&nbsp;humus_rocks</a>

]

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